Reinking machine for typewriter ribbons



Dec. 11, 1945. L. oee

REINKING MACHINE FOR TYPEWRITER RIBBONS Filed Nov. 4, 1942 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 11, 1945. L. OG'G 2,390,612

REINKING MACHINE FOR TYPEWRITER RIBBONS Filed. Nov. 4, 1942 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec; 11, 1945. L. ose 2,390,612

REINKING MACHINE FOR TYPEWRITER RIBBONS Filed Nov. 4, 1942 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 11, 1945. L. oee 2,390,612

REINKING MACHINE FOR TYPEWRITER RIBBONS Filed Nov. 4, 1942 4 SheetsSheet4 Patented Dec. 11, 1945 OFFICE REINKING MACHINE FOR TYPEWRITEB RIBBONSLeon L. Ogg, Creston, Iowa Application November 4, 1942, Serial No.464,487

Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for re-inking or re-conditioningtypewriter ribbons or other printing ribbons to enable continuous use ofthe same base or fabric thereof.

It is particularly aimed to provide a novel machine through which theribbon is passed and during which passage ink is applied to it andspread evenly in the desired quantity. And in which the ribbon issubjected to variable pressure to produce a squeegee effect thereon.

I further aim to provide a novel means for quickly enabling journalingof the spool from which the ribbon is unwound and the spool on which itis rewound.

In addition, it is aimed to provide a novel ink reservoir and meanswhereby it may be supported and refilling thereof is facilitated.

The more specific objects and advantages will become apparent from aconsideration of the description following taken in connection withaccompanying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved machine;

Figure 2 is a partial side elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view:

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 55 ofFigure 3;

Figure 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 6-6of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a detail section taken on the line of Figure 3;

Figure 8 is a detail section taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 1 andFigure 9 is adetail sectional view showing a modified form forjournaling the shafts of certain rolls.

Figure 10 is a vertical longitudinal section showing more clearly thedisc and cam assembly.

Referring specifically to the drawings wherein like reference charactersdesignate like or similar Parts, the machine has a suitable skeletonframe work generally designated Ill. The typewriter or other printingribbon is shown at H and is treated by the machine after it fades orbecomes worn in use in a typewriting machine and requires reinking orfurther ink to enable reuse thereof, thus enabling the base or fabric ofthe ribbon to be used practically continuously. This ribbon as appliedto the machine, is mounted on a spool l2 of conventional design, whichin most cases will be the spool on which it is wound before removal fromthe typewriting machine. Said spool I2 is ripped on opposite sides, atthe usual central opening by thepointed ends of arbors l3 and I4 mountedin any suitable way as by vertical bearing blocks l5 riveted orotherwise secured at It to a cross member I! at the top and right handend of the frame Ill. Each arbor l3 and I4 has a manipulating knob l8 atthe free end thereof. Arbor I3 is secured in place normally againstmovement by a setscrew l9 and arbor I 4 is secured in place normallyagainst movement by a setscrew 20. A coil spring 2| surrounds the arborI4 and is expansive, bearing at one end against the adjacent block l5andat the other end agai st a disk 22 on the arbor, so that when thesetscrew 20 is loose, the spring will urge the arbor l4 and disk 22 intoeffective contact with the spool l2 to Journal the latter, the screw 20being thereafter tightened to hold the arbor l4 against their movement.

Said ribbon I I is threaded beneath a roll 23 and between the latter andan ink applicator 24. Said applicator consists primarily of an endlessstrip or band of felt or other absorbent material traversing upper andlower rollers 25 and 26. Roll 25 23 is keyed to a shaft 21 journaled inany suitable manner on the frame l0, preferably with its ends mounted insuitable bearings or bearing openings thereof. Roll 25 is keyed to ashaft 23 while roller 26 is keyed to a short shaft 29, the latter beingjournaled in plate 30 loosely suspended on the shaft 28. A positioninghook 3| has one end of shaft 29 iournaled in it and its hook end 3:2 isin detachable suspending engagement with the shaft 21.

The applicator 24 is obliquely disposed with its lower end portion in atrough or well 33 suitably mounted on the frame In.

Ink is adapted to be supplied or flow by gravity into the trough 33 froma suitable reservoir 34 through an outlet fitting 35 and hose or conduit36 whose discharge end is located in the trough. Fitting 35 is equippedwith a suitable sight gage 31 and with a cutoff of regulatmg valve at33..

Reservoir 34 has a filling opening which is normally lowermost asshownin the drawings and covered by a screw threaded cap or closure 33.

Cap 39 has a tapered dependent 40 which'is detachably engaged in arecess 4| provided in one of the side strips 42 of the frame an.Reservoir 34 has a vent pipe 43 in communication with the atmosphere andcapable of being closed by a valve 44 therein.

Reservoir 34 and all parts connected thereto are removable from theframe and capable of support on the normally upper surface of the reservoir 34, since all parts attached thereto are normally below the levelof that surface. When thus supported or inverted, closure 39 may beremoved to enable filling of the reservoir, following which the closureis applied to the reservoir and the parts restored to normal positionwith the dependent or lug 40 removably disposed in recess or socket 4|.

Applicator 24 also in combination with the roll 23 has a squeegee effecton the ribbon to cause the ink to evenly penetrate the same and evendistribution without excess ink being absorbed or carried thereby. Tothis end, roller 25 is vertical- 1y adjustable. The ends of shaft 28 arejournaled in bearings 45 which are vertically slidable in slots or ways46 provided in brackets 41 as part of the side strips 42 of the frame.Said bearings 45 are nonrotatable as they have fiat portions conformingto the vertical walls of the ways 46. Shaft 28 has loosed thereon, disk48 and in contact therewith are cams 49 keyed to a shaft or rod 50 whichis journaled in the frame l and at one end has a manipulating knobThrough turning of the knob 5|, the cams 49 since they contact theperipheries of the disk 48, will cause raising or lowering of the shaft28 and roller 25 thereon, with consequent regulation of the pressure ofapplicator 24 with respect to the roll 23 and the ribbon l.

After passage over the applicator 24, ribbon ll passes under a roll 52,thence upwardly and over a roll 53, thence downwardly under a roll 54,thence over a roll 55 and then to a rewinding roll 56. The shafts 51, 58and 59, on which the rolls 52, 53 and 55 are respectively keyed, may bejournaled in any suitable manner for instance in bearin s 60, asdetailed in Figure 8, which bearings are slidably adjustable andfastened to the frame in any suitable manner as by means of screws 6|passed through elongated slots 62 in the bearings.

The shaft 63 on which roll 54 is keyed may be joumaled in the same wayas the shaft 21. As an alternative way of journaling both the shafts 21and, I may use cap bearing 64, as shown in Figure 9. These cap bearingsor sockets receive the adjacent ends of the shafts 63 or 21 and thebearings have lugs or extensions '65 engaged in openings in the sidestrips 42 and fastened against .turningtherein by the binding action ofsetscrews 66 threaded in the side strips.

The rewind roller or reel 56 may be a conventional typewriter spool likethat at 12 and another spool which is used in the windin mechanism -forthe ribbon in the typewriter. Reel 56 is gripped from opposite sides byshaft sections 61 and 68 journaled in the side strips 42 and bearings 69of the frame In, or in any other suitable manner. Shaft 68 has arelatively large disk l0 keyed to it which is adapted for frictionalengagement against one side of the reel 56 as best seen in Figure 4.Shaft section 68 also has a reduced extension 1| which extends into thecentral opening of the reel 56. Shaft section 61 is pointed at 12 toalso extend into t e same opening and the frictional engagement betweenthe plate Ill and shaft 61 with the reel is augmented by the expansiveaction of a coil spring 13 abutting one of the side strips 42 and a stop14, fastened on the shaft. A knob for retracting or manipulating theshaft 61 is fixed thereon at 15.

The various rolls may be driven or rotated in any suitable manner. Asshown, a pulley I6 is keyed to shaft 21 and adapted to be manually.turned through operation of a crank l l. Trained ersing a pulley l8keyed to the shaft 88. A balance wheel 80 may be keyed to the lattershaft.

An endless belt 8| also traverses pulleys 82 and 83, respectively fixedon the shafts 21 and 63.

As a result of the construction described, it will be realized that theribbon wound on the reel I2 is positioned in the machine through thepositioning of the reel L2 as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 6, in particularthat such ribbon is threaded in the manner shown and traced through thevarious rolls and in contact with the ink applicator 24 having asqueegee effect in combination with roll 23, to evenly and to the properamount, reink such ribbon. The rewound ribbon is removed with the reel56 and the same again used in the typewriting or other machine.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fail within the spiritand scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A machine of the class described having means to mount a reel fromwhich an inking ribbon is unwound, means to mount a reel for rewindingof said ribbon, and means to apply ink to the ribbon in its passage fromone reel to the other comprising a roll, a shaft therefor, an endlessabsorbent applicator engageable with the ribbon in opposition to theroll providing a squeegee action on the ribbon and applicator, a rollover which the applicator passes, a shaft for the latter roll, a secondroll over which the applicator passes, means pivoted on the secondmentioned shaft journaling the said second roll from th second mentionedshaft, means mounting the second mentioned roll, and an inkwell intowhich one end of the applicator extends.

2. A machine of the class described having means to mount a reel fromwhich an inking ribbon is unwound, means to mount a reel for rewindingof said ribbon, and means to apply ink to the ribbon in its passage fromone reel to the other comprising a roll, a shaft therefor, an endlessabsorbent applicator engageabie with the rib bon in opposition to theroll providing a squeegee action on the ribbon and applicator, a rollover which the applicator passes, a. shaft for the latter roll, a secondroll over which the applicator passes, means journaling the said secondroll from the second mentioned shaft, means pivoted on the secondmentioned shaft mounting the second mentioned roll, and an inkwell intowhich one end of the applicator extends, said means mounting the secondmentioned roller comprising a shaft, a plate journaling thelatter shaftand mounted on the second mentioned shaft, and means engaging the firstmentioned shaft and shaft of the second roller suspending the plate atone end from said first mentioned shaft.

0 means pivoted on the second mentioned shaft journaling the said secondroll from the second mentioned shaft, means mounting the secondmentioned roll, and means to apply ink to the applicator,slidablebearing means mounting the over the pulley 16 is an endless beltI8 also travsecond mentioned shaft, an eccentric means coacting with thesecond mentioned shaft and slidable bearing means so as to adjust thepressure of the applicator with respect to the first mentioned roll.

4. A machine of the class described having means to mount a reel fromwhich an inking ribbon is unwound, means to mount a reel for rewindingof said ribbon, a second reel on said means, and means to apply ink tothe ribbon in its passage from one reel to the other comprising a rolltraversed by the ribbon, and an ink well, an ink applicator extendinginto the well and engaging the ribbon outside or the well in oppositionto the roll providing a squeegee action on the ribbon and applicator.

5. A machine of the class described having means to mount a reel fromwhich an inking ribbon is unwound, means to mount a reel for rewindingof said ribbon, a second reel on said means, and means to apply ink tothe ribbon. in its passage from one reel to the other comprising a rolltraversed by the ribbon, and an ink well, an ink applicator extendinginto the well and enaging the ribbon outside of the well in oppositionto the roll providing a squeegee action on the ribbon and applicator,and means to vary the pressure of the applicator with respect to theroll and ribbon.

LEON L. OGG.

